David Frost, the veteran broadcaster, will not appear on Al Jazeera, the Arab
news channel, until the summer.

Jeremy Paxman hasn’t been the only big name in broadcasting who has been conspicuous by his absence lately. Sir David Frost, who was trumpeted as a “key” member of Al Jazeera’s team when he joined them eight years ago, hasn’t appeared on the Arab news channel since before Christmas.

The 73-year-old Sir David originally hosted a weekly current affairs programme for them, before switching, in 2012, to one-off interviews.

“He isn’t on air as his last series has now been completed,” his spokesman says. “He has 24 one-off interviews in the pipeline – he has just done one with Daniel Barenboim – and we anticipate the first of these being aired this summer. Sir David’s commitment to Al Jazeera remains strong.” With typical cack-handedness, the BBC allowed Sir David to walk out of its portals in 2005 just as he became a hot property thanks to Peter Morgan’s play – and subsequent film – Frost/Nixon, about his interviews with Richard Nixon.

Sir David brought gravitas to Al Jazeera, which is periodically accused of anti-semitism. He persuaded Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, to appear on his show.

Sir David will shortly be returning to the BBC to make a one-off programme about sketch shows. He will, meanwhile, be interviewing Lord Sacks before a live audience in May in a United Synagogue tribute to the retiring Chief Rabbi.